News

Health Disparities Could Cost U.S. $1.24 Trillion Over Four Years

Wed, 16 Sep 2015

Baltimore, September 16 2015 – Suffering from a high rate of cancer, and cardiovascular disease, the 600,000 strong African-American community in Baltimore is emblematic of the kinds health disparities that plague minority groups across the nation. While the underlying causes of such disparities are complex and multi-faceted the cost of these gaps is plain; a recent study estimated the amount could run to nearly $1.24 trillion dollars, roughly the same size as the Indian economy.

These disparities continue to persist, in spite of the dramatic improvements in the overall health of the U.S. population since the turn of the 20th century.

In an interview on WBAL-TV in Baltimore, Dr. Thomas LaVeist, professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the innovator behind cultural competency program COA360 explains how these gaps developed, and how they might be closed.